Host Induced Gene Silencing for Biotic Stress Management

Abstract

Plant diseases pose a significant concern to worldwide food production. Numerous diseases, including viruses, bacteria, fungus, insect pests, and nematode parasites, pose significant production and economic losses. Breeding for resistance or tolerance, chemical control, and biological control are major pillars of disease management techniques. The transgenic method of disease management has been made possible by the discovery of RNA silencing processes. A regulatory framework can be used to develop transgenic plants that are resistant to diseases, therefore RNA interference is a desirable all-natural solution to this problem. Utilizing RNA silencing processes and precisely suppressing the targets of invading pathogens, host-induced gene silencing (HIGS) has been successfully implemented in crop disease control. Here, an attempt to review the knowledge accumulated over the years about the underlying mechanisms of RNAi, with a focus on insects and plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs) was done. Further, description of the canonical processes of RNA interference (RNAi), its experimental and translational applications, and new RNA-based plant pathology-relevant technologies is explained